EP0605431A4 - Contact having a mass of reflowable solderable material thereon. - Google Patents

Contact having a mass of reflowable solderable material thereon.

Info

Publication number
EP0605431A4
EP0605431A4 EP92915536A EP92915536A EP0605431A4 EP 0605431 A4 EP0605431 A4 EP 0605431A4 EP 92915536 A EP92915536 A EP 92915536A EP 92915536 A EP92915536 A EP 92915536A EP 0605431 A4 EP0605431 A4 EP 0605431A4
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tail
contact
mass
connector
solder material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP92915536A
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
EP0605431A1 (fr
Inventor
Marlyn Eugene Hahn
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
EIDP Inc
Original Assignee
EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co filed Critical EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Publication of EP0605431A1 publication Critical patent/EP0605431A1/fr
Publication of EP0605431A4 publication Critical patent/EP0605431A4/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01RELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/50Fixed connections
    • H01R12/51Fixed connections for rigid printed circuits or like structures
    • H01R12/55Fixed connections for rigid printed circuits or like structures characterised by the terminals
    • H01R12/57Fixed connections for rigid printed circuits or like structures characterised by the terminals surface mounting terminals
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01RELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/50Fixed connections
    • H01R12/59Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures
    • H01R12/65Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures characterised by the terminal
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05KPRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K3/00Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits
    • H05K3/30Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor
    • H05K3/32Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits
    • H05K3/34Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits by soldering
    • H05K3/341Surface mounted components
    • H05K3/3421Leaded components
    • H05K3/3426Leaded components characterised by the leads
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01RELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R4/00Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
    • H01R4/02Soldered or welded connections
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05KPRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K2201/00Indexing scheme relating to printed circuits covered by H05K1/00
    • H05K2201/10Details of components or other objects attached to or integrated in a printed circuit board
    • H05K2201/10613Details of electrical connections of non-printed components, e.g. special leads
    • H05K2201/10954Other details of electrical connections
    • H05K2201/10984Component carrying a connection agent, e.g. solder, adhesive
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05KPRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K2203/00Indexing scheme relating to apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits covered by H05K3/00
    • H05K2203/03Metal processing
    • H05K2203/0338Transferring metal or conductive material other than a circuit pattern, e.g. bump, solder, printed component
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02PCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/50Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an electrical contact having a mass of a reflowed solder material having a predetermined volume disposed on a predetermined localized portion of the tail of the contact, to a connector having such a contact therein, and to a method of forming an electrical contact having a mass of a reflowed solder material having a predetermined volume disposed on a predetermined localized portion of the tail thereof.
  • the electrical contacts whether of the spring or the post type, used in an electrical connector each have a tail portion that extends from the housing of the connector in which they are disposed.
  • the tail portion may be generally linear if the connector is to be mounted into through openings provided in a substrate, such as a circuit board or a flexible member.
  • the tail portion of the contact may be bent to facilitate the mounting of the connector to either the surface or onto an edge of the substrate.
  • WO publication 89/04071 discloses a receptacle contact for a connector in which the barrel of the contact is provided with a layer of a reflowable solderable material.
  • the barrel accepts a linear tail portion of a mating pin.
  • United States Patent 3,852,517 (Fava) and United States Patent 3,296,577 (Travis et al.) disclose members having a coating of solder thereon.
  • the resulting mass of material on the solder tail is intermetallically bonded to the base material of the contact, the volume, thickness, shape and location of the mass cannot be precisely controlled.
  • solder paste In the case of surface mounted connectors and components it is a common practice to apply a layer of solder paste to the solder pads provided on a first surface of the substrate using screen printing techniques. That surface of the board is then populated with the connectors and/or components required. With the tail portions of the contacts embedded into the viscous solder paste, thereby temporarily securing the connector or component to the substrate, the populated substrate is exposed to a high temperature reflow environment. The solder paste melts and wets both the tail and the substrate. Upon cooling the solder solidifies, defining an intermetallically bonded solder joint that is both mechanically bonded and electrically conductive. The process is repeated on the opposite side of the substrate, if appropriate.
  • the connector is used in an edge, or straddle, mount configuration.
  • the pads adjacent to the edge of the first surface of the substrate are coated with paste simultaneously with the other pads on that surface.
  • the straddle mounted connector is usually not mounted to that surface when the surface is populated with the required discrete components and/or connectors.
  • the paste on the unpopulated pads forms mounds. Mounding makes difficult the subsequent insertion of the tails of the straddle mounted connector to that side of the substrate.
  • the present invention relates to a contact for an electrical connector.
  • the contact has a tail thereon.
  • the tail of the contact is provided with a mass of a solder material having a predetermined, precisely controlled volume of solder material that is reflowed onto a predetermined localized portion of the solder tail.
  • the tail of the contact may be generally linear or may be bent to define a concave portion thereon. When the tail of the contact is bent the mass of reflowable solder material is localized in the concave portion of the tail. Bent contacts in accordance with the present invention tail are advantageously used in a connector exhibiting either a straddle mount or a surface mount configuration.
  • Figures 1A, IB and 1C are, respectively, perspective views of a solder tail portion of a spring contact in accordance with the present invention for use with a connector or a component that is mountable either in a straddle mount, in a surface mount, or in a through mount configuration;
  • Figures 2A, 2B and 2C are, respectively, sectional views taken along section lines 2A-2A, 2B-2B, and 2C-2C of respective Figures 1A, IB and 1C;
  • Figure 3 is an end view of a connector or component having contacts of the type shown in Figure 1A mounted in a straddle mount configuration to a substrate:
  • Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a fixture for fabricating contacts used in the connector of Figure 3.
  • an electrical contact generally indicated by the reference character 10, that includes, in the general case, an electrical interconnection portion (not shown) and a solder tail portion 14.
  • the electrical interconnection portion may take any one of a numbers of well-known forms, such as the receptacle configuration, the frictional wiping configuration, or the pin configuration.
  • the solder tail portion 14 of the contact 10 is integrally formed with the electrical interconnection portion, typically by a stamping operation.
  • the solder tail portion 14 may either be generally flattened, as illustrated in Figures 1A and IB, or may have a generally squared or rounded cross section, as illustrated in Figure 1C.
  • the solder tail portion 14 thereof may exhibit a configuration which will facilitate the mounting of the contact using any of the well- known mount techniques.
  • the solder tail portion 14 may exhibit the configuration shown in Figure 1A which facilitates a straddle mount, the configuration shown in Figure IB which facilitates a surface mount, or the configuration shown in Figure IC which facilitates a through mount.
  • the tail portion 14 is bent, as at 16, to define a generally concave region 18 on the contact 10.
  • the tail portion 14 is generally linear throughout its length.
  • a mass or predetermined volume 20 of solder material is reflowed onto a predetermined localized portion of the solder tail 14.
  • the mass 20 of reflowable solder material is a tin lead solder although any reflowable material may be used.
  • the application of the mass 20 to the tail portion 14 of the contact 10 is discussed hereinafter.
  • the mass 20 of reflowable solder material is localized in the generally concave region 18 defined by the interior surface 22 of the tail 14. Moreover, as may be seen from Figures 2 A and 2B, the mass 20 of reflowed solder material does not uniformly surround the tail portion 14.
  • the surface 22 has a relatively thick layer of the reflowed solder thereon while the exterior surface 24 of the tail (i. e., the surface 24 opposite to the interior surface 22 having the concavity 18) forms a relatively thin layer of the reflowed solder thereon.
  • the depth of the solder in the mass 20 on the concave interior surface 22 of the tail 14 may be on the order of 0.010 inch to 0.020 inch.
  • the thickness of the layer of solder material on the surface 24 may on the order of 0.001 inch.
  • the mass 20 of solder material is disposed at a convenient location along the linear tail portion 14.
  • the mass 20 may substantially uniformly surround the linear tail portion pin.
  • Figure 3 illustrates a component or connector 30 employing electrical contacts 10 of the straddle mount configuration as illustrated in Figure 1A and 2A.
  • the component or connector 30 (which may be either a plug or a receptacle) 30 includes a housing 32 in which electrical contacts 10 are disposed.
  • the solder tail portions 14 of the contacts 10 extend from the housing 32.
  • the solder tail portions 14 straddle the edge of a substrate S, such as a printed circuit board or a flexible member, and are in physical contact with the conductive pads P on the surface of the substrate S.
  • Figure 4 illustrates a fixture 40 whereby the mass 20. of solder material may be reflowed onto a predetermined localized portion of the tail 14 of the contact 10.
  • the fixture 40 is a plate-like member formed of a material that is nonwettable by the particular solder material being applied to the tails 14. Typically, stainless steel is suitable for this purpose.
  • the mass 20 of solder material is may be reflowed onto the tail 14 after the contacts 10 have been inserted into the housing 32 of the connector or component 30, or while the contacts 10 still reside on their associated carrier strip, whichever is the more convenient.
  • the fixture 40 includes an array of wells 42, arranged to correspond to the arrangement of the tails 14. For a surface mount configuration the wells are arranged on only one surface of the fixture, while for a straddle mount configuration the wells are placed on opposite surfaces of the sixture.
  • Each well 42 has a central step 43 that separates the well into a shallow end 44 and a deep end 46.
  • the width dimension 48 of each well 42 is slightly larger than the transverse dimension of the solder tail 14, while the relative depths of the shallow end 44 and of the deep end 46 are indicated by the respective reference characters 52, 54.
  • the wells 42 are filled with the selected paste. This may typically be accomplished by a screen printing process.
  • the tail 14 of each contact 10 is placed into one of the wells 42, with the planar exterior surface 24 of the tail being received and supported on the shallow end 44 of the well 42.
  • the tails 14 are secured in this position by any convenient arrangement.
  • the fixture 40, with the tails 14 therein, are then placed in a suitable reflow environment, such as an infrared or vapor phase oven. Owing to the nonwettability of the fixture, the solder paste reflows onto the tails 14, forming an intermetallically bonded mass 20 having the predetermined volume on the predetermined localized portion of the tail 14.
  • the tail may either be laid across the well 42, or else the deep end 46 of the well provided with a relatively precisely formed opening 49 (shown in dashed lines).
  • the linear tail 14 is inserted into the opening 49, the well filled, and the solder reflowed onto the tail.
  • the depth dimensions 52, 54 By judicious selection of the depth dimensions 52, 54, the volume of reflowed solder mass, the location of the reflowed solder mass, the thickness of the reflowed solder mass, and- the shape of reflowed solder mass 20 may all be precisely controlled. Moreover, since the surface 24 of the tail 14 is supported on the shallow end 44 of the well 42, the solder mass 20 forms only as a thin layer on the exterior surface 24, assuring the continued planarity of that surface 24. Those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings of the present invention as hereinabove set forth may effect numerous modifications thereto.
  • the method and the contact formed in accordance with the present invention may be used to provide a predetermined volume of reflowed solder material in a predetermined localized portion of other members, such as a metallic hold down fixture or a strain relief.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
  • Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)

Abstract

Contact pour un dispositif de raccordement électrique se caractérisant par une quantité de matériau de soudure (20) dont le volume est refondu sur une partie localisée prédéterminée de la queue (14). Ladite queue peut être globalement linéaire ou recourbée pour définir une partie concave sur cette dernière. Si la queue est recourbée, le volume prédéterminé de matériau brasable se situe dans la partie concave de la queue. On peut utiliser avantageusement un contact courbé de ce type avec un dispositif de raccordement électrique qu'on peut monter sur un substrat suivant une configuration de montage à enjambement (30) ou bien suivant une configuration de montage en surface (40).
EP92915536A 1991-07-16 1992-07-14 Contact having a mass of reflowable solderable material thereon. Withdrawn EP0605431A4 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US73098391A 1991-07-16 1991-07-16
PCT/US1992/005736 WO1993002487A1 (fr) 1991-07-16 1992-07-14 Contact comprenant sur sa surface une quantite de materiau brasable pouvant etre refondu
US730983 1996-10-16

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0605431A1 EP0605431A1 (fr) 1994-07-13
EP0605431A4 true EP0605431A4 (en) 1996-07-31

Family

ID=24937588

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92915536A Withdrawn EP0605431A4 (en) 1991-07-16 1992-07-14 Contact having a mass of reflowable solderable material thereon.

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0605431A4 (fr)
JP (1) JPH07500692A (fr)
WO (1) WO1993002487A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3293348B2 (ja) * 1994-08-22 2002-06-17 株式会社デンソー コネクタピン接続装置及びその組立方法
DE29608233U1 (de) * 1996-05-07 1997-09-04 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 70469 Stuttgart Anordnung zur Ausbildung diskreter Lötstellen

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4737115A (en) * 1986-12-19 1988-04-12 North American Specialties Corp. Solderable lead
US4739917A (en) * 1987-01-12 1988-04-26 Ford Motor Company Dual solder process for connecting electrically conducting terminals of electrical components to printed circuit conductors
US4780098A (en) * 1982-01-04 1988-10-25 North American Specialties Corporation Conductive lead arrangement
JPH0274097A (ja) * 1988-09-09 1990-03-14 Fujitsu Ltd 電子部品のリード端子の半田付け方法

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4956913A (en) * 1988-05-11 1990-09-18 E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company Pin alignment method

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4780098A (en) * 1982-01-04 1988-10-25 North American Specialties Corporation Conductive lead arrangement
US4737115A (en) * 1986-12-19 1988-04-12 North American Specialties Corp. Solderable lead
US4739917A (en) * 1987-01-12 1988-04-26 Ford Motor Company Dual solder process for connecting electrically conducting terminals of electrical components to printed circuit conductors
JPH0274097A (ja) * 1988-09-09 1990-03-14 Fujitsu Ltd 電子部品のリード端子の半田付け方法

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of WO9302487A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0605431A1 (fr) 1994-07-13
JPH07500692A (ja) 1995-01-19
WO1993002487A1 (fr) 1993-02-04

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